Do Kids Actually Prefer Name-Brand Cereal to the Cheaper Store-Brand Alternative?

Personal finance blogger Len Penzo wanted to find out, and so he threw together a panel of 11 kids (and one dog) to partake in a breakfast blind taste test challenge. How do generic Apple Dapples match up versus Kellogg’s Apple Jacks?

Quite impressively, it turns out. As Penzo sums up:

Kellogg’s Apple Jacks vs. Albertsons Apple Dapples
Price Comparison: Kellogg’s, $4.99; Albertsons, $1.99 (a savings of 60%)
Panel Scoring: 11-8 in favor of Albertsons
The Verdict: The Albertsons Dapples were the apple of the experts’ eyes.

Apple Jacks, like grape candy, is one of those gastronomical enigmas. Neither tastes like the fruit it proclaims to imitate. Recognizing this, Kellogg’s decided to go on the offensive by asking kids in its television ads, “Why are they called Apple Jacks if they don’t taste like apples?” Beats me. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care because Apple Jacks is still my all-time favorite cereal of all-time and forever. Did I mention for all-time? Then again, what do I know? If you ask the kids, a slim majority said they would rather eat the Albertsons Apple Dapples. Of those that did prefer the store brand, they said they liked the sweeter taste. Mariah was our only expert who gave Apple Jacks the nod. She thought they were “just tastier.” For the record, I did my own blind taste test and still preferred the Apple Jacks – there definitely was less sugar.

I’m not sure how there were 19 votes in the results and there were only a dozen voters. When a voter had no preference, does each cereal get one point? Still doesn’t really add up.

Regardless, overall, the name-brand cereals edged out the generics in four of the six head-to-head taste-offs, but the competition was hardly a blow-out. The voting was pretty even. And the point is: You can save 60% or more by opting for a cereal that’s nearly as good as the pricier brand you grew up eating in front of Saturday morning cartoons.

As Gas Prices Go, So Go Prices for Used Cars

What do prices at the pump have to do with prices at the used car lot? They actually tend to mimic each other. Higher gas prices tend to cause drivers to want to spend less out of pocket on their automobiles. That means rising demand, as well as rising prices, for used cars—fuel-efficient used cars especially. Used car prices spiked last summer as gas prices soared, and then spiked again earlier this year as the national average neared $4 a gallon. Now that gas prices are retreating, relief is also in sight for consumers in the market for used cars.